Destroying Themselves For A Generation -- they just can't leave the immigration issue alone.

Destroying Themselves For A Generation

by digby


Looks like Marco Rubio had better start carrying his papers:

Florida Republican leaders have begun crafting anti-illegal-immigrant legislation modeled after an Arizona law that has incited widespread protests and fueled national and international debate over U.S. immigration policies.

Under the proposed bill, police would have broad power under state law to ask suspects for proof of legal residency, said Rep. William Snyder, a Republican from Stuart who plans to introduce the legislation in November.

"We have significant components from the Arizona bill that I plan to incorporate," he said. "We have the beginnings of it."

The effort, which would be filed for consideration during the March legislative session, is already drawing broad support within the GOP.

In an election year shaped by anti-incumbency sentiment, majority leaders in the Florida Senate and House said a new approach is needed to address the federal government's failure to temper illegal immigration.

The effort has the backing of both leading Republican gubernatorial candidates — businessman Rick Scott and Attorney General Bill McCollum.


Lest you suspect this is nothing but a raw political ploy to gin up racial resentment and get their hate filled neanderthals out to the polls, think again. It's actually a humanitarian exercise:

Snyder, a former police officer, said the proposed legislation is needed to protect undocumented immigrants, who are vulnerable to abusive employers and violent criminals.

"This is a human right issue," he said. "They don't enjoy the same rights and privileges that you and I do. The solution is to enforce the laws that currently exist and to discourage people from coming here to 'find a better life' when in fact they just come here and are victimized."


This is very much like the unctuous faux paternalism of the anti-abortion crowd who try to portray themselves as protectors of women when they deny them their agency. It's cute but unconvincing.

I asked Alan Grayson about Florida and immigration earlier today on his Blue America chat and he said this:

It Will Destroy the Republican Party for a Generation.

The Republicans are down to three Latinos in Congress, all from South Florida. As soon as they show their true colors, they'll be down to zero.

Take a look at what happened to voter registration by party in California, after the Republicans started race-baiting there.


Carly and Meg are having a hell of a time walking back their primary campaign race baiting here in California.It's still a mine field for Republicans.

Grayson's words point to an irony and a sort of progressive achievement. Lyndon Johnson famously said that the Democrats would lose the south for a generation when they passed civil right legislation. Now, 45 years later, the Republicans are in danger of losing for a generation because they are still using the same politics of racial resentment. They refused to evolve and so the country changed around them.


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